translation

American  

[trans-ley-shuhn, tranz-] / trænsˈleɪ ʃən, trænz- /

noun

• translations
  plural

1. the rendering of something into another language or into one's own from another language.

2. a version of such a rendering.

   a new translation of Plato.

3. change or conversion to another form, appearance, etc.; transformation.

   a swift translation of thought into action.

4. the act or process of translating.

5. the state of being translated.

6. Mechanics. motion in which all particles of a body move with the same velocity along parallel paths.

7. Telegraphy. the retransmitting or forwarding of a message, as by relay.

8. Mathematics.

   1. a function obtained from a given function by adding the same constant to each value of the variable of the given function and moving the graph of the function a constant distance to the right or left.

   2. a transformation in which every point of a geometric figure is moved the same distance in the same direction.

9. Genetics. the process by which a messenger RNA molecule specifies the linear sequence of amino acids on a ribosome for protein synthesis.

---

idioms

1. lose something in translation. see lose in translation.

translation British  

/ trænsˈleɪʃən, trænz- /

noun

1. something that is or has been translated, esp a written text

2. the act of translating or the state of being translated

3. maths a transformation in which the origin of a coordinate system is moved to another position so that each axis retains the same direction or, equivalently, a figure or curve is moved so that it retains the same orientation to the axes

---

translation Scientific  

/ trăns-lā′shən /

1. Biochemistry The process in the ribosomes of a cell by which a strand of messenger RNA directs the assembly of a sequence of amino acids to make a protein.

2. Biochemistry Compare transcription

3. Physics Motion of a body in which every point of the body moves parallel to and the same distance as every other point of the body.

4. Mathematics The changing of the coordinates of points to coordinates that are referred to new axes that are parallel to the old axes.

---

Synonym Usage

Translation , paraphrase , version refer to a rewording of something. A translation is a rendering of the same ideas in a different language from the original: a translation from Greek into English. A paraphrase is a free rendering of the sense of a passage in other words, usually in the same language: a paraphrase of a poem. A version is a translation, especially of the Bible, or else an account of something illustrating a particular point of view: the Douay Version.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pretranslation
  noun
• retranslation
  noun
• translational
  adjective
• translationally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• translations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of translation

First recorded in 1300–50; from Latin trānslātiōn- (stem of trānslātiō ) “a transferring,” equivalent to trānslāt(us) ( see translate) + -iōn- -ion; replacing Middle English translacioun, from Anglo-French, from Latin, as above

Explanation

"C'est un dictionnaire en ligne." Don't understand? Here's a translation for you: "This is an online dictionary." A translation is the written or verbal rewording of something from one language into another that keeps the same meaning. A translation doesn't have to be strictly from one language to another; it can be a rewording that makes something easier to understand or less technical in nature, as suggested by the common phrase, "Can you translate that into plain English?" If what is translated takes a written form, as in a book, for example, then the object itself is called a translation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

translation translations

In that sense, the market’s translation looks premature.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Carolyne Larrington’s translation is one of the liveliest available.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

In her new translation, Wilson said she’s allowing herself more lines, longer words and the repetition of phrases, which is the same approach she used in her 2023 translation of “The Iliad.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

The system also uses materials with prior regulatory acceptance, a feature intended to make eventual clinical translation more practical.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026

But Ben knew the translation and he let the God off with a smile, let him go back to his song, and back to his flowers on River Street.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

The majority of the film’s narrative is communicated through on-screen text — translations of archival material, superimposed in English over their original printed matter.

From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026

It funded tours by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, film adaptations of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and “1984,” and translations of T.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Oates, who penned the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Blonde,” said that, within the world of translators, Wilson’s review “seems all the more surprising since all translations are, presumably, subjective & not equivalent to the original text.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

It has been widely regarded as one of the greatest works of Western literature, has had various translations and is believed to have been translated into English more than 100 times.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

But that was not the case with Tsonga translations of Greek and Roman mythology.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• adaptation
• explanation
• reading
• rendering
• rendition
• transcription
• version